Angelina Jolie co-produced, directed and wrote the movie “First They Killed My Father.” It is a film about Loung Ung’s traumatic experiences under the Khmer Rouge. More than the financial gain, the film is Jolie’s way of giving back to the country that transformed her.
Lately, the “Maleficent actress is coming under fire through the way casting for the lead role was done. The actress shared in an interview with Vanity Fair how they were able to pick out the best Cambodian child aspirant for the role of the young Loung Ung.
Jolie narrated that they searched at orphanages, slum schools, and circuses for hard up children for the lead role.
The casting directors thought of a casting game to find the best. They placed money on a table, then, asked the child to come up with something that she needed the money for. Then they snatched the money away. The casting director would then pretend to catch the child out and she would be asked to come up with a lie.
Children exploited and it was cruel
The girl who got the role, Srey Moch, was the only one that stared so long at the money on the table. When forced to give it back, she became emotional because she thought of using the money for the funeral of her grandfather.
Jolie and the casting crew were slammed for the exploitative way they conducted the casting. According to the Independent, aside from exploiting the child, it had triggered the child’s past traumatic experiences.
Jolie who had no hand in the casting game was criticized for not doing something to stop the screening process.
According to the Huffington Post, the process was condemned and Angelina Jolie was accused of manipulating the emotions of vulnerable children. Twitter was flooded with condemning tweets and even criticized Vanity Fair for publishing the story.
angelina jolie really played a psychological game w/ impoverished kids instead of, you know, just having them audition like a normal person
— birthday girl ellie (@spikejonzes) July 26, 2017
Awful. How is this woman an ambassador for children? This is abuse, manipulating them emotionally, triggering flashbacks for their gain?
— dancinginshadows (@dancinginshado) July 27, 2017
Who'd stoop so low as to exploit a child's poverty & hopelessness in the name of entertainment. Jolie, as it happens https://t.co/c8sK6Da3TU
— karen k 48% (@48mojitos) July 27, 2017
A teary-eyed Jolie
Jolie was teary-eyed when she recalled Moch’s reaction and the mother of six did not mean to bring out bitter and painful memories by allowing the casting process.
However, it does not exonerate her from indirectly exploiting helpless people. The Netflix drama story was condemned by human rights activist. Netizens questioned in their tweets how Jolie's humanitarian and child aid works. One user wrote that the game was psychopathic and a form of exploitation.
Angelina Jolie is yet to comment on the accusations. "First They Killed My Father" is Jolie's film done after her tumultuous divorce from ex-husband Brad Pitt. This is also Maddox Jolie-Pitt's debut film project with his mother.
